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Reed, Anderson chosen as musical curators of Vivid Sydney festival

Garry Maddox

Veteran singer-songwriter Lou Reed and performance artist Laurie Anderson are taking over from Brian Eno as musical curators during the Vivid Sydney festival.

The city's second annual festival of music, light and ideas, which runs from May 27 to June 21, is expanding from the Opera House and Circular Quay to include light displays in Macquarie Street and Hyde Park and a Song Summit at Darling Harbour.

Reed and Anderson, a married couple who have been avant-garde performers since the 1960s, were announced as this year's curators of Vivid Live by NSW Premier, Kristina Keneally, at the Opera House today.

They spoke on a pre-recorded video.

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“I like the idea that it's bringing people to Sydney that they wouldn't normally have a chance to see or hear," said Reed.

Anderson said the festival program “will be kind of like a big crazy menu; it will have the things we like in it but it will definitely be really eclectic”.

The festival includes "immersive" light displays along the length of Macquarie Street, a free performance event at Campbells Cove based on a 1797 voyage from Calcutta to Australia with live performance and fire, and talks and performances under the Creative Sydney banner.

Events NSW claims the festival attracted more than 200,000 people to the Rocks and Circular Quay last year.